Trade Show Planning Checklist & Timeline

Trade shows, conventions, and expos provide companies, brands, and entrepreneurs with the perfect marketing opportunity to showcase and sell their services, products, and capabilities while also meeting face-to-face with potential customers, brand influencers, affiliates, buyers, journalists, and clients. To maximize the many benefits of exhibiting at trade shows, exhibitors need to properly plan for the event. Planning a successful trade show takes time and should start 12 months prior to the show. In this 3 part series, our Xylea Wood trade show experts are sharing pre-show planning tips, during the show tips, and post-show best practices for making your trade show successful and increasing your ROI.

Pre-Trade Show Planning Timeline & Checklist

12+ Months Before Your Trade Show

Determine your goals and main objective for the show

There are many benefits of vending at a trade show; increasing brand awareness, meeting potential influencers, affiliates, buyers, business contacts, leads, investors, customers, etc. While you may benefit from several of these, you’ll be most successful if you focus on one main objective, and plan your trade show display and messaging around that.

Select a trade show solution/vendor who can help you design your booth, keep costs in mind in terms of weight of display, shipping costs, drayage, and set up

Choose booth layout and lighting

Plan Signage Needs/Graphic Elements (include branded company hashtag)

If you’re looking to save money, consider DIY slatwall trade show display solutions. You can save BIG on shipping, graphics, and on site labor by choosing DIY options such as *Xylea Wood Custom Slatwall Trade Show Displays that are lightweight and quick and easy to assemble.

Network Early – Reach out to 5 to 10 attendees you’d like to meet via email; send a press release/reach out to bloggers and journalists on media list

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our 3 part Trade Show Planning Series where we’ll be discussing tips for maximizing your time during your event.

*Bonus Tip for Choosing Your Trade Show Display

Consider DIY Custom Trade Show Slatwall for reducing on site expenses and shipping costs.

Xylea® Wood trade show booths and displays are the perfect DIY option for creating high quality, affordable trade show display booths for merchandising that are easy to set up, high impact, and cost effective. We’ve revolutionized trade show display slatwall by imitating and replicating balsa wood’s magnificent super cell structure into a magical, lightweight, strong & affordable material, Xylea-Wood®, that is fully customizable, interchangeable, affordable to ship, and easy assemble, offering the perfect solution for merchandising made easy.